Says Laurent Léger, a Charlie Hebdo journalist who survived the attack on the magazine, of his colleagues who were killed to Open contributor SAMANTHA DE BENDERN who finds in today’s France a threat to national symbols

Once a Double Niner, always a Double Niner. So say soldiers of the 99th Field Regiment of the Indian Army, which was awarded the title ‘Sylhet’ for its gallantry in the 1971 War for the liberation of Bangladesh. First raised in Aurangabad as the 99th Mountain Composite Regiment (Towed) on 15 April 1964, it is remembered for its role in obtaining the surrender of Pakistani forces after a 25-day gun battle during the war. As this 20-minute documentary shows, the Double Niners were masters of tactical manoeuvres, a tradition they still try their utmost to uphold.

A deadly new virus

To comprehend what could be the greatest threat to mankind’s greatest threat, the movie Contagion is a good place to start. In the film, a new virus wipes out tens of millions of humans in days, and social institutions crumble. The Spanish Flu of 1918 was similar, killing at least 50 million people and affecting ten times as many in only two years.

The human race lives in perpetual fear of such pandemics. Recently, a new scare was added to the list. During a speech at the World Health Assembly, Dr Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization, said, “My greatest concern right now is the novel coronavirus. We understand too little about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential threat. Any new disease that is emerging faster than our understanding is never under control.”

The novel coronavirus has been named the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) because it mainly affects Middle Eastern residents. Since the first case was confirmed in September 2012, there have been 50 cases and 30 deaths. Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have confirmed cases. Cases have also been reported by France, Germany, the UK and Tunisia.

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says infected people ‘developed severe acute respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. About half of them died. Some were reported as having a mild respiratory illness.’

As of now the virus only transmits via close contact. The worst case scenario is a mutation which would make it considerably more virulent. There is no treatment or cure, and prevention strategies are basic—wash hands often, don’t contact infected people, and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Islamic fundamentalists chopped off his right hand. His college dismissed him. The government abandoned him. His wife ended her own life when she could not take the trauma any longer. And his son was hounded by the police for no reason. Open met TJ Joseph in his hometown in central Kerala. The indefatigable teacher is in the midst of writing his memoir